In a recent post on the official Xbox Wire website, Microsoft has announced the upcoming titles that will be offered free to Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers for the month of August. The futuristic open-world sandbox action shooter Crackdown will be offered for the first half of August, followed by the quirky post-apocalyptic zombie slayer Dead Rising 2.

Accompanying Dead Rising 2 is the DLC pack Dead Rising 2: Case Zero ($4.99), which expands upon the game’s story arc even further.

Both games are part of Microsoft’s Games with Gold initiative for Gold subscribers, which provides Gold users with two free games per month– a promotion that was doubtless set into place to combat Sony’s highly acclaimed PlayStation Plus program via PSN.

The games are a bit dated–with Crackdown releasing in 2007 and Dead Rising 2 in 2010–yet Microsoft has chosen an array of popular titles and gaming favorites for their rewards program.

“As our way of saying things to our qualifying Xbox LIVE Gold members, we’re giving you two free Xbox 360 games each month for the rest of the year. Each game will be available to download only for a limited time, so grab them before they’re gone and keep them no matter what.”

The program debuted in July with Fable III and Assassin’s Creed II being featured, giving gamers the chance to experience each retail game in their entirety. Additionally Microsoft has revealed that the games are available forever and are playable offline.

Capcom’s action-packed zombie-slayer. Dead Rising 2, has been hailed across the world as a fantastic release, earning many accolades. Crackdown has provided millions of gamers a unique and chaotic sandbox experience and paved the way for the sequel, which broke even more grounds for the franchise.

Be sure to head on over to Microsoft’s official Games with Gold page for more details, and download the games before the opportunity passes!